The Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward says the devolution agreement reached late last night is "the final piece of the jigsaw which enshrines the whole peace process".

Mr Woodward said that the deal agreed between the DUP and Sinn Fein "addresses much more than the date for the transfer of powers" including how the Northern Ireland executive works, the spirit of trust, partnership and respect.

And, interviewed by the Today programme's Sarah Montague, he hailed the agreement - reached after more than a year of negotiations - as being "above the politics of any single party, reaching out to the interests of all people in Northern Ireland".